The family of 21-year-old Navy sailor Angelina Petra Resendiz is calling for answers and demanding accountability after her body was discovered in a wooded area near her base in Norfolk, Virginia, nearly two weeks after she was last seen.
According to the Virginia State Police, Resendiz was last spotted at her barracks on May 29. Her remains were found on June 9 by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) in an off-base wooded area in Norfolk, sparking grief and outrage from her family, who claim they were left in the dark during the critical days following her disappearance.
“Angelina was a kind and compassionate young woman who brought light into our lives,” said Esmeralda Castle, Resendiz’s mother, in a public statement. She added that the family has been left with “a void in their hearts” and pledged not to let her daughter’s suffering go unanswered, according to NCIS and CBS News affiliate WTKR.
Castle revealed that her family was not promptly informed by Navy officials of her daughter’s disappearance. Instead, they learned about it informally — through word of mouth, staff at the base, and eventually media coverage.
“Colleagues, friends, and even authorities knew she was missing, but the response was minimal,” Castle stated. “And after her friends filed a missing person’s report when her commander would not, they showed little compassion or understanding.”
The family now wants Congress to step in. Castle is urging lawmakers to investigate the handling of Resendiz’s disappearance and death and to implement new procedures requiring the military to notify families directly and immediately when a service member goes missing.
“The Navy’s failures threaten all families and the integrity of our military system,” Castle said. “Congress must reform these processes to prevent future tragedies, for the safety of all families.”
In the wake of the tragedy, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched by Resendiz’s loved ones to support her mother and assist with financial burdens.
The fundraiser notes that Castle is determined to search the wooded area where her daughter was found and to organize a protest demanding reforms in how the U.S. military handles cases involving missing women in the armed forces.
While NCIS continues its investigation into the circumstances surrounding Resendiz’s death, her family remains steadfast in their call for transparency and change — vowing that Angelina’s story will not be forgotten or ignored.